Be familiar with food traffic lights and lead the new trend of health

"Stop at red lights, go at green lights, and pay attention at yellow lights" is a traffic warning we have remembered since childhood. We are all familiar with traffic lights, but have you ever heard of food traffic lights? Let's learn about this interesting and practical concept.

The core of the food traffic light is the glycemic index (GI). It is a measure of how quickly food causes blood sugar levels to rise after entering the human body. The higher the GI value, the faster the food causes blood sugar levels to rise, and vice versa, the lower the GI value, the slower the food causes blood sugar levels to rise. Imagine that blood sugar is like the energy supply system of the "big city" of the human body. Glucose is the main fuel produced by the "energy factory" to ensure that our cell "factories" operate normally. They come from the bread, rice, fruits and other foods we eat, and are converted into glucose through the digestive system and then enter the blood. The blood is a highway with glucose flowing through it. When you finish a hearty meal, your blood sugar level will rise rapidly. At this time, the body's "energy management bureau" - the pancreas, starts to work. It sends out "scavenger" insulin to guide excess glucose into cells to turn them into energy or store them for future use. However, if the body cannot use these "scavengers" effectively, or if the amount of insulin is insufficient, glucose will "jam" in the blood, causing high blood sugar levels. This situation is like a traffic jam in a city, which will cause damage to the "roads" - blood vessels and organs in the long run, leading to diabetes and its complications.

In daily life, in order to avoid traffic jams, we rely on traffic lights to direct traffic. Traffic lights are like the "commanders" of the city, ensuring that vehicles on the road pass in an orderly manner, greatly reducing traffic jams. We also need such traffic lights in our blood to help stabilize blood sugar levels, that is, food traffic lights. The so-called food traffic lights are the way we classify food according to the GI value of food in the form of traffic lights. Green represents low GI (safe food), yellow represents medium GI (moderate consumption), and red represents high GI (try to avoid).

How are low GI, medium GI, and high GI divided? We imagine the GI value as a scale from 0 to 100. Foods with a GI value of 70 or above are considered high GI foods, foods with a GI value between 56 and 69 are medium GI foods, and foods with a GI value of 55 or below are considered low GI foods. Green Light Zone: Low GI Foods (GI value ≤ 55) Vegetables: green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, lettuce, kale), broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, okra Fruits: apples, pears, cherries, oranges, strawberries, blueberries Whole grains: oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, barley Beans: black beans, red beans, chickpeas, mung beans Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds Dairy products: low-fat milk, yogurt (sugar-free)

Yellow light zone: Medium GI foods (GI value 56-69)  Vegetables: sweet corn, taro  Fruits: bananas, grapes, mangoes, pineapples  Whole grains: whole wheat bread, millet, brown rice  Beans: broad beans, tofu  Dairy products: whole milk, some sweetened yogurt

Red Light District: High GI foods (GI value ≥ 70)  Vegetables: potatoes (white and red), pumpkin  Fruits: watermelon, cantaloupe  Refined grains: white bread, white rice, sticky rice  Sugars and sweets: sugary drinks, candies, desserts (such as cakes, cookies)  Processed foods: potato chips, French fries, ready-to-eat cereals

In our daily diet, we can refer to this traffic light GI table and give priority to green foods, because green foods cause less blood sugar fluctuations and are the basis of a low GI diet. Secondly, we should consume yellow foods in moderation, but be careful to control the total amount so as not to affect blood sugar control. Finally, we should try to avoid red foods, because they are easy to cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and should be avoided as much as possible or only consumed in small amounts under special circumstances.

In fact, low GI diet has become a new track in the current health food craze. From supermarket shelves to online shopping platforms, there are a wide variety of low GI foods. Whether it is low GI probiotic yogurt, adult milk powder, meal replacement powder or low GI biscuits, egg yolk crisps, bread and other products, they all cater to the people's demand for low sugar and health. Even the milk tea industry has launched low GI milk tea. Low GI green light diet has quietly entered people's daily life, so what are the benefits of eating low GI food? 1. Blood sugar control: Low GI food can slowly release glucose, help maintain stable blood sugar levels, and reduce blood sugar fluctuations, which is especially important for diabetic patients. 2. Weight management: Low GI foods are usually rich in fiber, which can provide a longer sense of fullness, reduce the frequency of eating, and help weight control. 3. Reduce the risk of heart disease: Studies have shown that low GI diet can reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) and overall cholesterol levels, which helps prevent heart disease. 4. Improve energy levels: Stable blood sugar levels can avoid sudden rises and falls in energy, and maintain daily vitality and concentration. 5. Improve the digestive system: The fiber rich in low GI foods helps to maintain a healthy digestive system and prevent constipation and intestinal problems.

"Red light means stop, green light means go, and yellow light means pay attention." Food traffic lights are like traffic lights. They cannot remain green or red for a long time, otherwise it will be a mess. Therefore, although low GI diet has many benefits for the human body, it does not mean completely rejecting high GI foods. This is because high GI foods such as watermelon and sweet potato are nutritious "little treasures". Moderate intake is the key to maintaining physical vitality. A balanced diet and comprehensive nutrition can create a perfect picture of health. In addition, everyone reacts differently to food, especially diabetic patients. Before embarking on a low GI diet, it is best to ask a professional doctor or nutritionist to "check your pulse". Make good use of food traffic lights, choose appropriate low GI foods, match meals reasonably, and maintain a positive and healthy attitude towards life. Everyone can be the helmsman of their own health. Through reasonable dietary choices and a healthy lifestyle, we can lead a new trend of health that belongs to us.

(Author: Wu Xiaoyan and Xie Qiaoling from Quanzhou Light Industry Vocational College)